Sisterly Security Blanket

Writers: Halyonix, Sia
Date Posted: 9th December 2025

Characters: M'thos, Hesbia, Haseba
Description: Haseba interrupts the peace of the weyrling barracks
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 20 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: T'mhas, H'lem

M'thos

Hesbia

Notes:
~*~

The first time her sister had startled her awake late at night, Hesbia thought it was a fluke. “I can’t sleep in that room by myself! There’s no one else there now!” Haseba wailed. And Hesbia felt awful because it was true. Their uncle was gone, their parents were dead, Hesbia now lived in the Barracks because she had a dragon. Her sister, just barely a teenager, was all alone in a room that had once housed three.

“Okay, you can stay here tonight,” Hesbia had said then. Her sister had climbed into her bunk and they had both fallen into an exhausted sleep.

But the next night, right before lights out, Haseba was back. “I…I _can’t_,” she wailed tearfully.

As Hesbia tried to figure out what to do, Oriveth suggested, }: Perhaps we ask the Weyrlingmasters? Surely Fianwyth’s rider would understand the predicament. :{

**Let’s do that,** Hesbia agreed as she let Oriveth begin that conversation.

}: To be clear, do you _want_ her to stay? Or do you want him to help her find somewhere else? :{ Fianwyth asked as M'thos rounded the corner to the girl's barracks. He was half-ready for bed himself, jacket and boots thrown on over pajamas.

"And who might you be, miss?" He asked gently.

Hesbia immediately stepped halfway in front of her sister, shielding her like she always did. “My sister. My little sister. She’s…she’s the last of my family,” the older girl said in defensive explanation.

Oriveth, in the meanwhile, was talking to Fianwyth. }: Hesbia worries a lot about this little sister. Hesbia is afraid of losing what little family she has. If her sister is scared, Hesbia will move mountains to keep her safe. Do _I_ want her to stay? No. I don’t understand why she’s scared. But Hesbia does and I will support my rider. :{

"No one's in trouble, Hesbia." M'thos said, his tone still gentle. He sidestepped around Hesbia and pulled out the singular chair by the little desk assigned to each alcove. It creaked a little when he sat. "And I wasn't talking to you, either. Do you have a name, Hesbia's Sister?"

The younger teenager shied a little, trying to hide in the shadow of her older sister like she always did. “Has…Haseba,” she answered.

"It's nice to meet you, Haseba. I'm M'thos. I'm the Weyrlingmaster Second. I'm sorry that no one's thought to find you a foster family since your sister Impressed. Can I interest you in one of the other empty alcoves in the girls barracks, at least for now? We have very strict rules about keeping space between close family when the dragonets are young, because big feelings from their riders can make them very upset. Oriveth loves you, but he doesn't understand why you're both upset."

Tears pricked Hesbia’s eyes when she heard the older dragonrider say that Oriveth loved them both. }: I do, :{ Oriveth confirmed stoutly. He rested his head on his rider’s knee. }: I don’t understand why your sister is so scared but she means a lot to you and I understand that you’re trying to help her somehow. :{

M’thos was right though. It really wouldn’t be a long-term solution for Haseba to stay there but Hesbia didn’t know what the long-term fix would be. Not yet anyway. A foster family? That sounded…awful. Haseba was her family! There had to be some compromise to be worked out. Just not at midnight.

Haseba, in the meanwhile, looked at the empty alcove a few spots down. Then back at her sister. Hesbia could see her thinking it over. “It’ll be fine, Has. It’s just right there. We’re still in the same room.” Just a really big room with other people in it too.

Haseba looked over at the alcove again. She nodded slowly. “O-Okay.”

"There you go. Why don't you pick one out while I go get some blankets? Is there anything else you need?" Though talking to Haseba, M'thos looked to Hesbia for an answer. He was already thinking of packing up a little overnight kit from stores for her.

The younger girl looked at the alcove again and then at her sister for guidance. “It’ll be fine, Has. Just let him get the blankets and go to sleep there,” Hesbia repeated. She didn’t want to keep drawing this out. She wanted to get to sleep because tomorrow was another day of training and feeding. Hesbia had already decided that if Haseba was going to do this, then she was going to find a way to get her sister to help out somehow tomorrow.

}: Just don’t recruit her to help wash me, please? :{ Oriveth pleaded, already internally wincing at the possibility of being touched by someone other than his rider.

**Of course not! I’ll make her cut up your breakfast or something,** Hesbia answered.

Fianwyth was already bespeaking Ghraisath, asking T'mhas to collect the pile of clothes H'lem had recently outgrown but neither man had yet the heart to give back to stores. They'd be a bit big on either girl, but a few options wouldn't hurt. "Go on, dear. Get comfortable- I'll be back shortly. It's late and you must be tired."

M'thos flashed Hesbia a comforting smile as he left, hurrying to the stores and then to quickly grab the bag from his weyrmate. When he returned it was with his arms full. He set most of the other items down near the little desk and put the warm, heavy blankets on Haseba's new cot. "I'm going to be up a while yet, just down the hall." He said brightly. "You come get me if you need anything, all right?"

Even though his words were for Haseba, she looked at her sister for confirmation. Hesbia tiredly nodded, waving as she headed back towards bed. Oriveth curled up in his wallow, also eager to return to sleeping. Thus left to her own devices, Haseba looked at M’thos and nodded. “Th-thank you,” she said in a very quiet voice.

"You're welcome." M'thos said gently. "Sweet dreams."

Last updated on the December 20th 2025

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Sisterly Security Blanket